The McNeese State University Encyclopedia is a compendium of
narrative and descriptive essays about persons, places,
events, institutions, and ideas relating to the history of
the University. The Encyclopedia is
planned as a cumulative and ongoing research and writing
project. Contributors to the Encyclopedia gathered
information from several sources. Please contact the
editor with submissions, errors, or broken links.

Allums,
Kathleen. Allums, a
music professor, was a member of the first faculty of
Lake
Charles Junior College when it began in 1939. Allums received her bachelor's degree
at Northwestern State College and her master’s degree at Louisiana State University.
She studied music in Mexico City, Rochester, New York City,
and Paris. She was the pianist for the Messiah Chorus
beginning in 1940. In 1946, Allums was a charter member of the Alpha Gamma chapter of
the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society, an organization
for women educators. Allums received the McNeese Alumni
President’s Cup in 1968 and retired from McNeese in 1979.

Alma Mater.
Kenneth L Gaburo composed McNeese's alma mater in 1950.

We hail our Alma Mater,
with hearts full of gratitude;

Where knowledge dwells with friendship,
and all that is right and true.

Our mem’ries here will linger,
with faith in all you do;

McNeese, McNeese, may glory reign here, too--
All Hail! All Hail! McNeese, we are proud of you.

Alpha Lambda Delta. Membership in
this honors society requires superior scholastic achievement
during the first year in college. Members must carry a full
load of classes (usually 12 hours) and rank in the top
twenty percent of freshman.

Alumni. The
McNeese Alumni Association, founded in 1947 and incorporated
in 1960, is composed of graduates as well as former students
who express an interest in supporting the University. Those
alumni who contribute to the annual fund are considered
active members and are entitled to vote, hold office, and
receive invitations to alumni events. The purpose of the
organization is to stimulate and nurture alumni interest in
McNeese State University and to promote a working
relationship among alumni, faculty, students, and community.
The association sponsors class reunions, chapter activities,
recruiting programs, Distinguished Recognition Awards,
Homecoming activities, annual phone-a-thon, Grad Fest, student
scholarships, publication of The Roundup newsletter, and
maintenance of the 30,000 plus alumni data records. The
Alumni Association is housed in the William Gray Stream
Alumni Center located at 600 E. McNeese Street and the web
address is
http://www.mcneesealumni.com.

Alumni Association
Presidents:

1947-1948

Robert Wheeler

1970-1971

William Fontenot

1993-1994

Dr. Larry DeRouen

1948-1949

James St. Dizier

1971-1972

Gene Booth

1994-1995

Dr. Larry DeRouen

1949-1950

Robert Miller

1972-1973

Fred Nodier

1995-1996

Charles Timpa

1950-1951

Ernest Schindler

1973-1974

Charles Bellon

1996-1997

Joyce Patterson

1951-1952

Horace Lyons

1974-1975

Charles Goen

1997-1998

Tim Woods

1952-1953

Frank Salter, Jr.

1975-1976

D. C. Green

1998-1999

Dr. David Kestel

1953-1954

Gerald Sinitiere

1976-1977

Pat Quirk

1999-2000

Mike Terranova

1954-1955

John Eckhardt

1977-1978

Roy Moore

2000-2001

Mike Terranova

1955-1956

Jimmy Whitehead

1978-1979

Richard Guillory

2001-2002

Marty Chehotsky

1956-1957

Lloyd Jones

1979-1980

H. Gayle Marshall

2002-2003

George Paret

1957-1958

Calvin Billings

1980-1981

Dick Miller

2003-2004

Kaye Billeaudeaux

1958-1959

Freddie LeBlanc

1981-1982

Anthony Zaunbrecher

2004-2005

Joyce Patterson

1959-1960

Alfred E. Flores

1982-1983

Dr. Lee J. Monlezun, Jr.

2005-2006

Roxie Boxie

1960-1961

Fred Godwin

1983-1984

Zeb Johnson

2006-2007

Lonnie Fisette

1961-1962

William T. Clarke

1984-1985

Nancy Morris

2007-2008

Scott Liggio

1962-1963

Lloyd Hennigan

1985-1986

Paul Hebert

2008-2009

Mike Doland

1963-1964

Al Newlin II

1986-1987

Ann Hurley

2009-2010

Moby Goodwin

1964-1965

Max Jones

1987-1988

Norman Robinson

2010-2011

Pat Hay

1965-1966

William F. Gossett

1988-1989

Dennis Donald

2011-2012

Cheryl Fuselier

1966-1967

Larry A. Roach

1989-1990

Robert E. Guillory
Jr.

2012-2013

Dr. Ken Moss

1967-1968

Daniel Ieyoub

1990-1991

Dr. Emma DiCarlo-Vincent

2013-2014

Blake McCaskill

1968-1969

Bobby Gauthreaux

1991-1992

Monte Hurley

2014-2015

1969-1970

Leland Parra

1992-1993

Dan Eason

2015-2016

Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients
(The year in parentheses
is the recipient's graduation date. The other year is the
date of the award.):

WILLIAM F. “BILL” GOSSET (1956) 1983

.

For two decades of unselfish dedication and guidance as
Director of McNeese State University Alumni Affairs.For tireless work during construction and fund
raising resulting in the
WilliamGrayStreamAlumniCenter
debt retirement.

DR. JOHN R. “MICKEY” ROYER(1954) 1984

.

Awarded for bringing recognition and distinction to McNeeseStateUniversity
through his long successful career as one of the country’s
outstanding plastic surgeons.Also awarded for his contributions to his community
as an active civic leader.And especially for his continued interest and support
of McNeeseState.

DR. CECIL
CYRUS VAUGHN (1954) 1986

.

Awarded for bringing recognition and distinction to McNeeseStateUniversity
through his pioneering research in cardiovascular medicine
and artificial heart transplant surgery.Also awarded for his contribution to humanity as a
leading author and educator in his field and for his
generosity in support of McNeese.

KENNETH S. SWEENEY (1950) 1988

.

Awarded for his leadership and integrity which have helped
to strengthen
McNeeseState
University
during the past 30 years.His unselfish devotion and untiring loyalty to the
University and its employees have set an example for all
others to follow.

BESSIE JEAN KEARNS (1957) 1989

.

Awarded for her international work with the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank
and the Board of International Food and Agricultural
Development (IFAD), Dr. Kearns’ work in the fields of
agriculture and human development has improved the quality
of life for people in many of the world’s developing
nations, and thus, has brought distinction to her alma
mater, McNeese State University.

JUDGE EARL VERON
(1958) 1990

.

Awarded for his record of achievement as a lawyer and jurist
and for his service as U.S. District Judge.

R.L. “BUBBA” NELSON (1964) 1991

.

Awarded for his outstanding achievements as a businessman
and for earning national recognition as founder of Allwaste,
Inc. an environmental services company, his company was
rankednumber
two on Forbes
Magazine’s 1989 list of the best managed American
companies with revenue under $350 million.

CARLOS PEREZ (1962) 1993

.

Awarded for his remarkable accomplishments as a leading
manufacturer, industrialist and civic leader in Mexico and
Central American.He was director
of the largest manufacturer of ice cream and dairy products
in Mexico.He is
very active in recruiting citizens of Mexico to attend
McNeese.

RICHARD IEYOUB (1968) 1994

.

Awarded for his distinguished career as Louisiana Attorney
General, his local, state and national service in the legal
profession and for his enthusiastic support of McNeese.Was a former
President of the National District Attorneys Association.

WILLIAM J. DORE
(1965, 1966) 1995

.

Awarded in recognition of his success.He served as
Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Global
Industries, Ltd. which offers solutions to worldwide
offshore needs.

ANDRE DUBUS (1958) 1996.
Awarded for his accomplishments as a noted author who
is hailed by critics as one of American’s greatest
storytellers.
His work was featured in Time Magazine, The New Yorker, Publishers Weekly, New York Times Book
Review, and People
Magazine.

JOE DUMARS (1985) 1997. Awarded to an outstanding
athlete who displays unique courage, ethical behavior and
personal integrity on and off the court.A true sportsman, generous philanthropist and
successful businessman.Currently the Detroit Pistons’ President of
Basketball Operations.Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.First recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award which
has been named the “Joe Dumars Trophy”.

SHERYL R. ABSHIRE (1972, 1976, 1988) 1998

.

Awarded in recognition of having achieved national
prominence in the field of education, as one of the first
five inductees into the National Teacher Hall of Fame and a
Christa McAuliffe Fellow.

ROBERT F. NASH (1971) 1999

.

Awarded in recognition of over 26 years of extensive global
experience with Halliburton Energy Services, with successful
service as a member of their senior executive management
team.

BRIGADIER GENERAL JOE G. TAYLOR, JR. (1974, 1983) 2000

.

Given in recognition of distinguished service to his country
and for being the first McNeese graduate to attain the rank
of Brigadier General in the United States Army.

R.C. SLOCUM (1968, 1970) 2001. Given in recognition of
his role as one of the premier NCAA Division 1 football
coaches in the nation based on his long-standing record of
wins at Texas A&M University.

DR. MARK OTTENWELLER (1972, 1974) 2002. Given in
recognition of his worldwide leadership role in community
based Aids support, prevention, and childcare programs while
serving as the Director for Africa,
HOPE worldwide.

REBECCA BROWN ROBERTS (1973) 2004

.

Given in recognition of her contribution in the development
and production of worldwide energy resources as President of
the Global Power and Generation division of ChevronTexaco,
Inc.

WILLIAM A. “BILL” OLIVER (1971) 2005

.

In recognition of his rise from engineer to President of
Louisiana Operations of AT&T, his leadership role in
numerous civic organizations, and his long-standing loyalty
and support of McNeese.

PHIL D. CONWAY (1977) 2006

.

Recognized for his achievements in banking as President of
JPMorgan Chase, Houston and also managing Director and Head
of Capital Advisory in the
United States
for the JPMorgan Private Bank as well as for his extensive
civic leadership.

JOHN WARNER SMITH (1976) 2007

.

Served as Secretary of Labor for the State of Louisiana,
improving the quality of the workplace and labor force,
while helping workers and businesses successfully compete in
the new global economy.Now heads up New Horizons which works towards
improving education in the state of Louisiana.

SAMUEL S. ANDREWS, M.D. (1973)
2008

.

Given in recognition of his extensive research and
accomplishments in the field of endocrinology, his work in
performing pancreatic transplants, and for co-authoring the
best-selling Sugar
Busters diet books.

MICHAEL A. CREEL (1975) 2009

.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Products
Partners LP, one of the largest publicly traded energy
partnerships with an asset base of $18 billion.

GRANT T. CARDONE (1981) 2010

.

Given in recognition of his success as an international
sales expert, sales trainer, motivational speaker, and
best-selling author, while also managing three multi-million
dollar companies.

LARRY GARNER (1961) 2011

.

Is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame
and served as head athletic trainer for two Super Bowl World
Championship teams, the Seoul Olympic Games, and the FIFA
World Cup Venue in Dallas.

J.
DOUGLAS THORNTON (1980) 2012

.

A dynamic force in Louisiana’s tourism and sports industry
who spearheaded and supervised the $85 million rebuilding of
New Orleans Superdome following Hurricane Katrina and who
continues to manage professional sports venues and events
nationwide.

DR. TIMOTHY A. DEROUEN (1967) 2013

.

Recognized for his international oral health research;
developed and currently directing internationally renowned
research training for dental faculty; Principal Investigator
for $45.7 million in research grants at the University of
Washington; and will serve as President of the American
Association for Dental Research.

Ambassadors. Dr.
Don Lyons founded the McNeese Ambassadors during Jack
Doland's Presidency. The Ambassadors were a group of
approximately twenty students who served as the official
hosts for the McNeese President. The Ambassadors assisted
with public events as ushers, hosts, or
greeters.
They also assisted with graduation ceremonies. Later
the Ambassadors merged with the Peer Leader Group.

American Association of University
Professors. AAUP began at McNeese
onDecember 12, 1962 when the national organization
extended recognition to the McNeese State College Chapter.

Athletics Department. The
athletics program fields teams in the NCAA for both men and
women. The University is also a member of the prestigious
Southland Conference, and competes for championships in
football, basketball, indoor track, cross country, outdoor
track, baseball and golf for the men and cross country,
indoor track, outdoor track, tennis, golf, volleyball,
basketball, softball and soccer for the women.

Baker, Curtis C. McNeese
named Baker Auditorium in Farrar Hall after Dr. Baker,
a
Special Education Department Head. In 1960, Baker served
on the Graduate Council which organized the
graduate school
at McNeese.

Band.
The McNeese Band made its public debut October 26, 1940 at a
football game against Louisiana College.
Dr. Francis Bulber directed the 24-member
band. Later, during Kelly Love's tenure as Director, the band
became informally known as "Brother
Love's Traveling Salvation Show."

Banners. Banners is the McNeese
Arts and Humanities Program Series. In addition to its
public events, Banners provides programs to K-12 school
children at no cost. Banners also provides special
opportunities for young artists in the community to interact
with the national and international artists who come to Lake
Charles to perform in the series. Click
here for more
information.
Basic Studies, Division of. All
first time freshmen at McNeese enter into the Division of
Basic Studies. After completing 30 semester hours with a
cumulative GPA of at least a “c,” students may enter one of
McNeese’s six colleges.

Bel, Della Goos.
McNeese named Bel Hall after Della Goos Bel, the daughter of
Captain Daniel J. Goos, founder of the Calcasieu lumber
industry, and the wife of John Albert Bel, a pioneer
lumberman, industrialist, and civic leader. Many
credit Mrs. Bel with bringing culture, refinement, and
social graces to the frontier community known as "Charlie's
Lake."

Blue Key Honor Society. Recognizes
college students at senior institutions of higher education
for balanced and all-around excellence in scholarship,
leadership, and service. See
www.bluekey.org for
more information.

Boales,
Hubert. Boales was the head football coach in 1982.

Bookstore. McNeese’s own
bookstore on campus helps provide books and other supplies
to students and teachers. The Bookstore also carries a wide
selection of McNeese memorabilia and clothing.
Bookstore homepage.

Bradford, William H. Bradford was born August 14,
1912 to Charles and Lency Bradford in Newton, Mississippi.
He received his bachelor's degree from Mississippi Southern
in Math and Science in 1936. He received his master's degree
in 1939 from Louisiana State University and his doctorate
from the University of Texas in 1953.

He begin at McNeese as a math instructor in 1939.and later
was head of the math and science dept from 1942 to 1950.
From 1950 to 1957 he was Dean of Liberal Arts. He and his
wife Edna Mae (Shaw) helped students set up the first alumni
assoc. and opened their home to many of the first meetings.
Bradford was instrumental in many changes during his tenure,
including starting the Nursing Department, helping the
school become a four-year institution, and in opening the
door for the first black students to attend McNeese.

In 1957 he was offered a position at Sandia Labs in
Albuquerque, New Mexico to develop and design missile
guidance systems. Bradford died February 7, 1981 from heart
problems in Winnfield, Louisiana and is buried in
Albuquerque, New Mexico.Brother Love's
Traveling Salvation Show [See Band].

Bulber,
Francis Gerard (1909-1992).Bulber joined the
John
McNeese Junior College faculty in the fall of 1940. Before
coming to McNeese, Bulber taught music at
Louisiana State
University. Bulber received the McNeese Alumni President’s Cup
in 1959. During Bulber's career at McNeese, he served as
Head of the Music Department, the Dean of Fine Arts, and the
Academic Dean of the University. Bulber started the
long-running tradition of performing Handel’s Messiah
at McNeese every December. In 1954, Bulber received the
McNeese Award for Cultural Leadership. He received the
Alumni President’s Cup in 1959. Upon his retirement in
1974, he was awarded Dean Emeritus. Bulber's academic
career began at the Sacred Heart High School in Biloxi,
Mississippi. He received his bachelor's and master's
degrees
from Louisiana State University. He did post-graduate work at
Northwestern
University in Chicago, Illinois and received his
doctorate in
Music Education from
Peabody College in Nashville,
Tennessee. Bulber founded the Lake Charles Civic
Symphony and the Lake Charles
Messiah Chorus. He taught at
Pearl RiverJunior College
before coming to McNeese. He died on June 24, 1992 at
the age of 83. In 1992, McNeese renamed the McNeese
Auditorium the Francis G. Bulber Auditorium.

Burton,
William T.
McNeese named the Burton Business Center
and Burton Coliseum
after W.T. Burton, a major benefactor. Burton was born
on September 25, 1884 in Orange, Texas, where he attended
school until the seventh grade. He moved to Sulphur,
Louisiana at the age of 17 and for a short time worked for
his uncle who was postmaster and railroad agent. In
1914, he was involved in both the mercantile and oil
businesses. In 1916, he started in the shell business
and began buying land, planting rice, building roads, and
running a ferry while rebuilding a sugar mill and farm.
He liquidized the old Calcasieu National Bank and formed the
Calcasieu-Marine National Bank. He valued education a
great deal. Every year he gave a financial gift to
each graduating senior of Sulphur High School. He
established the William T. and Ethel Lewis Burton
scholarship program in which he presented a full four-year
college scholarship valued at $4,000 to one graduating
senior in each of the public and private high schools in
Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, and Allen parishes. In
1968, he donated $65,000 to McNeese’s new computer center.
He also provided gifts in the medical fields and other civic
and cultural activities in the Southwest Louisiana area.
Burton is the son of
Alice Evelyn Smith Burton.

Butler, Robert Olen.
Butler was an McNeese English professor from 1985 to 2000.
In 1993, Butler won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his
work, A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, a
collection of short stories about Vietnamese expatriates
living in Louisiana.He served with the
United States Army in Vietnam in 1971 as a Vietnamese
linguist and counterintelligence agent and then as the
administrative assistant to the American foreign service
officer who was the advisor to the mayor of Saigon.
Currently, Butler teaches at
Florida State University.

Callender,
Ruth Miriam. Callender was a member of the
first faculty of Lake Charles Junior College when it began
in 1939. Callender taught Health and Physical Education for
women. She coached a
women’s basketball team in 1945-1946 and was the advisor to
the Women’s Intramural Association. In
1969, Callender became a full professor. She retired in
1977. Callender received
her bachelor's and master's degrees at
Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee. She did
graduate work at the University of Texas and
Louisiana State
University.

Code of Student Conduct. This
publication is a codification of existing rules and
regulations that pertain to students and student life. The
Office of Student Services designed the code to enforce and
uphold the purposes, goals, and processes of the University.
Read the code
here.
Colleges. McNeese consists of six colleges:
Business,
Education,
Engineering,
Liberal Arts,
Nursing, and
Science.

Collette, Ida King
(1872-1956). Mrs. Collette was the wife of
a Lake Charles pioneer and the daughter of Simpson Methodist
Church's founder. Collette taught in the Calcasieu Parish
school system. McNeese named Collette Hall, a dormitory, after
Mrs. Collette.
Collette was born in Schuyler, Nebraska on July 24, 1872.
She moved to Lake Charles with her family in 1890 at the age
of 17. That year she entered the old Congregational
College which was located on the site of the present Lake
Charles-Boston High School. Two years later, she began
to teach, first at Oberlin, then in a lumber camp. She
then taught at Central (Elementary) School and later Fourth
Ward (Elementary School).

Colors.
Today, the official colors of McNeese are blue and gold.
The original colors of John McNeese Junior College were red
and gold. In 1943, the student body voted the colors
to be purple and gold. The colors were changed to blue
and gold in 1972.

Contraband.The
Contraband is
McNeese's weekly student newspaper, named after Contraband Bayou which
runs through campus. Click here
for an image of the first Contraband. Contraband
Editors:

1939-1940

G. W. Ford

1975-1977

Ann Murchison

1940-1941

Orville Emmett

1977-1979

Kevin Troutman

1941-1942

Tommy Ford and
Robert Lemoine,
co-editors

Fall 1979

Jan Morgan

1942-1943

Juanita Greene and
Gene Dietz

Spring 1980

Cindy Oliver

1943-1944

Jean Goforth,
Melda Faye Dietz, and Nancy Shindler

1980-1981

Jan Morgan

1944-1945

Pat Ford

1981-1982

Kathryn Kingery

1945-1946

Marilyn Managan

1982-1983

Etta Smith

1946-1947

Patsy Heidt

1983-1984

Marsha
Montgomery

Fall 1947

Bob Hennigan

1984-1985

Etta Smith

Spring 1948

Fred Horne and
Patsy
Bertrand

1985-1986

Brett Downer

1948-1949

Pat Bertrand and
Charles Force

1986-Fall 1987

Pam Breaux

1949-1951

Sherrill Milner

Spring 1988

Brett Downer

Fall 1951

Gene Booth

1988-1989

Fran Dickey

Spring 1952

William Buck

1989-1990

Jessica Potts

Fall 1952

Davey Herbert

1990-1991

Jessica
Potts and
Mike Duhon

Spring 1953

Fred Thomas

1991-1992

Mike Duhon

1953-1954

Carolyn Pulliam

1992-1994

Mark Fleniken

1954-1955

Merlene Mertena
Trahan and
Charlotte Doane

1994-1995

Seth Hopkins

1955-1956

Emogene Lanier

1995-1996

Catherine Bonds

1956-1957

Leneta Doucet

1996-1998

Jared Manuel

1957-1958

Charlotte Clarke

1998-2000

Todd McCardle

1958-1959

Rex O. Miller Jr.

2000-2001

Jeremy Harper

1959-1960

Robert Houston and
C. H. Seiber

2001-2002

Johnny Jarrell

1960-1961

C. H. Seiber,
Rochelle Kristal, and Tony Darby

2002-2003

Allysa
Sellars

1961-1962

Linda Mixon

2003-2005

Anthony Ray

1962-1963

Tillie Coffey

2005-2006

Michael Rivers,
Alicia Hewett

1963-1964

Ronald Walker

2006-2007

Sarah Puckett

Fall 1964

Tillie Coffey

2007-2008

Ryan Brossette

Spring 1965-1966

Richard Kucner

2008-2009

Jesse Davis

1966-1969

Jim Stacey

2009-2010

Robert Teal

1969-1970

Paul Martin and
Randy Soileau

2010-2011

Jesse Davis

1970-1972

Bill Pardue

2011-2012

Brad
Robichaux, Erwin Cutwright

1972-1973

Kirk Warner and
Rose Wilson

2012-2013

Erwin Cutwright

1973-1974

Smitty Midkiff and
David McCain

2013-2014

Chris LeBlanc

1974-1975

David McCain

2014-2015

Contraband
Bayou. Contraband
Bayou, which runs through the McNeese campus, is so named because many believe it is the site of the
famous pirate Jean LaFitte’s buried treasure, or contraband.
Click
here for a bibliography
of Jean LaFitte sources.

Cornett, Donald Charles. Former
McNeese student killed in action in the Ia Drang Valley in
South Vietnam in 1965. Cornett was the McNeese ROTC cadet
commander and student body president 1962-1963. He was
also a member of the Pershing Rifles, Scabbard and Blade,
Blue Key, and Kappa Sigma fraternity. He
graduated in 1964 and joined the Army. He rose to the
rank of First Lieutenant and received the Silver Star. The 1966 Log was dedicated to his
memory.

Cowboys.
Many factors influenced the naming of the McNeese sports teams
"Cowboys." When McNeese was founded in 1939, it was
through a joint effort between the
Southwest Louisiana
Cattleman's Association, the
Calcasieu Parish Police Jury,
and the Works Progress Administration. The Cattleman's
Association wanted an arena, the Police Jury wanted a
college to educate its citizens, and the WPA wanted an
auditorium to stage performances. In the early days,
cowboys figured prominently in the culture of McNeese.
Rodeo was a major activity in the area. Some students
rode their horses to campus. McNeese soon became known as
the "Cow College" because cows roamed freely on the campus.
In 1940, the basketball team (the only official sports team
on campus at the time) chose "cowboys" as their team name
from several choices, including Broncos, Bucs, and Eagles.
Around this time, some members of the University community
felt that McNeese should choose either "nautical" themes (like
the yearbook, The Log, and the newspaper,The
Contraband) or "cowboy" themes for the University's
activities, but nothing ever came of that movement. In
the late 1940s and 50s, sports fans began using the name
"Cowpokes," which was soon shortened to "Pokes."
See also Mascots.

Cowgirl Kickers.
The Cowgirl Kickers Dance line began in 1980. It consists of
25-27 highly talented dance members who meet strict criteria
for dance skills, academics, community service, and overall
representation of the team and McNeese. The Kickers perform
for football, basketball, volleyball, and many other
athletic games for McNeese. They also perform for community
events, such as Mardi Gras balls, charity events, community
celebrations, and visits to local schools. In the past, the
Kickers have received formal invitations from Nice, France;
Walt Disney Word; Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets
Basketball teams; the New Orleans' Saints football team, and
the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Hawaii.

Cusic, Wayne N. Cusic was
a basketball coach and the second president of McNeese. He
was born in Griggsville, Illinois in 1905. He attended Girard
High School in Illinois where he was a two-year all-state
football halfback. He played football, basketball, and
baseball at Illinois College.
His first school job was a coach and science teacher at
Minden High School in Louisiana. Cusic moved from Minden to Kentucky
where he coached four championship basketball teams at
Stanford High School and top football teams at Lynch High
School. He came to McNeese in 1940 as an instructor in
Health and Physical Education
and an athletic coach. He
later served as counselor to men, Director of the
Department
of Education, Director of
Athletics, and Dean of Men. He
became McNeese's second president on October 15, 1955 when
Lether Frazar left McNeese to
run successfully for Lieutenant Governor. In 1959, Cusic was
awarded an honorary doctorate by Illinois College, where he
had earned his bachelor’s degree. Cusic died in Lake Charles
in 1993.
MSU Encyclopedia Index

Deacons, The. The Deacons Club
consisted of a group of 19 male students and was
organized in the spring of 1941. The purpose of the club was to further
social activities on campus. The Deacons sponsored the first
dance in honor of the first class to graduate from McNeese.

Deans
[see also
Presidents].
From 1939 to 1950, the Dean was McNeese's highest ranking
official. After 1950, the President presided over the
university. Deans of McNeese:

Devall,
Les. Devall was the head football coach from 1957 to 1965.
Doctorate Degrees. Mrs. Mary Landers, wife of Robert
Bruce Landers, Dean of the School of Education, received
McNeese's first doctorate degree in August, 1969. In 1982,
the Education Doctorate program ended. This was the only
time that McNeese offered a doctorate degree.Doland, Jack V.
(1928-1991) Doland served as
the McNeese football coach from 1970-1978 and had a record of
63-32-3. He was a native of Lake Arthur, La. and played
football and basketball at McNeese Junior College from
1946-1947. He then went to
TulaneUniversity and played football
and baseball. After graduating, he played professional
baseball for two years, the first at Crowley, Louisiana,
then in the Tri-States and Hickory leagues in North
Carolina. He was head coach at DeQuincy and Sulphur High
Schools and won a state championship at Sulphur. He
was assistant coach under Charlie McClendon at
Louisiana State University before
becoming head coach at McNeese. He was instrumental in
McNeese’s admission into the Southland Conference in 1972.
In 1977, he received a doctorate from Louisiana State University in Education
Administration. In the fall of 1979, he became president-elect of McNeese
while President Thomas Leary
was on sabbatical. On July 1, 1980, he officially became
President and served until 1987 when he retired to
successfully run for the
Louisiana State Senate. He
died in April 1991 after a long bout with cancer. McNeese
named its Athletic Complex
in his honor.

Drew,
Harrison Chelsey (1838-1916). Drew was born in Maine on January 14, 1838. As a young man, he
became involved with the railway business in Texas.
He served on the side of the Confederacy in the Civil War,
in the engineering corps building bridges, forts, and roads. After
the war, he settled in Lake Charles and devoted himself to
the harvesting and sale of long-leaf pine timber. He
was a partner in the Lake City Sawmill on the south shore of
the lake. In 1892, he sold his interests to
J. B.
Watkins. In 1898, he retired from the timber industry
and bought 14,000 acres of land in West Calcasieu to
experiment with rice farming. Within a few years,
8,000 of those acres were under cultivation making it the
largest rice farming operation in the United States.
In 1898 he served as a member of the Louisiana
Constitutional Convention. He died on September 3, 1916, leaving half of his estate in trust for the
education of the young people in Southwest Louisiana.
During his life, he also set up Drew Park,
organized Calcasieu State Bank in 1892, organized the Vinton
Lumber Mill in 1893, and served as
a state senator from 1900 to 1912. Drew
was one of
the prime movers behind establishing Lake Charles as a
center for the lumber, rice, and cattle industries in
Southwest Louisiana. His foundation awards at least
200 scholarships to McNeese students each year.
On January 12, 2000, the Drew Estate established a $5.25
million endowment at McNeese to support economic and
workforce development, the largest single gift ever received
by the McNeese Foundation. McNeese
named Drew Hall after him.

Dubus, Andre. Dubus was a
writer of contemporary fiction novels and short stories. Dubus was
born August 11, 1936 in Lake Charles, Louisiana to Andre and
Katherine Dubus. He was educated at Christian Brothers
Catholic schools and received his bachelor's degree from
McNeese State College. He spent five years in the Marine
Corps and then spent two years at the Writer’s Workshop at
the University of Iowa. His first novel, The Lieutenant,
was published in 1967. He has written several novels,
novellas, and short stories. He has been published in
Sewanee Review, Midwestern University Quarterly, Sage, New
Yorker, Carlton Miscellany, Northwest Review, North American
Review, Viva, Southern Writing in the Sixties, and
Ploughshares. [See also Alumni]Duhon,
Glenn. Glen Duhon was the head basketball coach from 1978
to 1987.

Dumars,
Joe.
Dumars is McNeese's all-time leading scorer in basketball.
Dumars went on to enjoy an illustrious career with the
Detroit Pistons.
Read more
here
about Dumars on the National Basketball Association's
website.[See also Alumni]

Duplechin,
Ernie. Duplechin was the head football coach from 1979 to 1981.

Foundation. The
McNeese State University Foundation is a voluntary,
non-profit organization of business and professional
leaders. It was incorporated in 1965 to establish
scholarships for McNeese students. The Foundation's total
assets exceed $62 million. The Foundation annually awards
over $2 million in scholarships, faculty development awards
and academic enhancements.Foundation homepage.

Frasch,
Herman (1852-1914). Frasch was born in 1852 in Gaildorf, Wuertemberg, Germany.
In 1868, he became a citizen of the United States and began
a practice in pharmacy. Frasch researched improvements
in the refining of petroleum and its byproducts, the
manufacturing of carbon for electric lighting, and the
mining of gold and other metals. He came to Louisiana
about 1890 and invented a method of sulfur mining and
refining where many previous fruitless attempts had been
made. He died on May 6, 1914. McNeese named
Frasch Hall, the science building, after him.

Frazar,
Lether Edward (1904-1960). Frazar graduated from Merryville
High School in 1922, where he played football and was an
honors graduate. He attended
Centenary College for a
short time and then transferred to Southwestern Louisiana
Institute (SLI, now the University of Louisiana-Lafayette) where he
graduated in 1928 with a degree in history. He was a school
principal in Beauregard Parish from 1928-1937. He
received a master's degree in government from
Louisiana State University in 1932.
He was president of SLI from 1938-1941. He became
an Administrative Assistant with the Office of Price
Administration in Washington D.C. during the beginning of
the United States' participation in World War II. He then became the
Louisiana Director of the Office of Price Administration
until 1943. In 1944 he became Dean of
McNeese Junior College.
In 1949, Frazar
presided over the transition of McNeese from a junior college to
a four-year institution and
was named its first President on August 15,
1950. He
retired from McNeese in 1955 in order to run successfully as
Lieutenant Governor on the Earl Long ticket.He passed away in 1960 just five days after
his term as Lieutenant Governor ended. On November 11,1961,
McNeese
dedicated Frazar Memorial Library in his honor.

Gates,
Keith Robert. Gates was born in Johnstown, Pa., on Sept.
29, 1948. His family moved in November 1952 to Lake Charles.
He spent his senior year of high school at North Carolina
School of the Arts, where he continued his college
education, later moving to New York, where he graduated with
a bachelor and masters of music from the Juilliard School.

Gates began teaching music theory, ear training,
composition, and piano at McNeese in 1984, where he taught
for 22 years until he retired in 2006. Gates composed
symphonies, operas, concertos, choral music and chamber
works. Gates’ best-known works and collaborations included
“Evangeline,” “The Hollow,” “Tom Sawyer” and “The Christmas
Coin.” He also acted and sang in local stage productions
such as “The Mikado,” “Amadeus” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
Gates composed “American Requiem,” a piece he wrote in
memory of the Sept. 11, 2001, victims using selections from
hymns, psalms, and prayers in the lyrics.

In addition to his McNeese classes, Keith directed drama for
the Governor’s Program for Gifted Children, actively
participated in both the Lake Charles Little Theatre and
ACTS, played the piano for the Bethel Presbyterian Church,
and served as organist and choir director for St. Andrew
Presbyterian Church and Temple Sinai.

Gates began teaching music theory, ear
training, composition, and piano at McNeese in 1984, where
he taught for 22 years until he retired in 2006.
He was
diagnosed with cancer in August 2006, and was immediately
given chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Gates died May 22, 2007.
For more information about Gates and his work, please visit
www.keithgates.com

Gayle,
Arthur L., Sr. Gayle was a Lake Charles businessman who was instrumental in
founding McNeese. Gayle was born on February 22, 1882
in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. He graduated from Lake Charles High School
and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He then
joined the firm of Kelly, Weber, and Company, Inc., where he
had first worked at the age of thirteen. He was
subsequently named Manager of the company and in 1907 was
given the position of President and General Manager.
He later served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the
company. He was a charter member of the
Louisiana
Cattlemen’s Association in which during his presidential
terms, he worked to eradicate the cattle-fever tick from
Louisiana. At the time of McNeese’s founding, he was
president of the Association of Commerce. McNeese named
Gayle Hall after him.

Governor’s Program
for Gifted Children. In 1959
McNeese established the Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) with
fifteen middle school students from throughout Southwest
Louisiana. The SEP began accepting students from other
sections of the state in 1962. In 1964, the SEP became the
Governor’s Program for Gifted Children (GPGC) when Governor
John McKeithen approved a petition for the state to provide
funds for its continued operation. Today, McNeese conducts
the program for six weeks each summer. The program accepts
approximately 30 children each summer through the Special
Education Department of McNeese.GPGC Homepage.

Handel’s Messiah. The Messiah is an
oratorio composed by G.F. Handel telling the story of the
life of Christ. On December 15, 1940,
Dr.Francis Bulber
directed the first performance of the Messiah in the
McNeese
Auditorium. In that performance, the choir was 85 members
strong and the only accompaniment consisted of two pianos.
This oratorio has been performed every December since 1940
to the present day. Today, the choir consists of up to 200
members and the accompaniment consists of a full orchestra
consisting of violins, violas, cellos, basses, bassoons,
trumpets, a tympani, and a harpsichord.

Hardtner, Juliet E.
Juliet Emily Hardtner was born in Alexandria, Louisiana on
June 12, 1918. She was the daughter of Henry E. Hardtner, a
lumberman known as the Father of Forestry in the South.
Juliet Hardtner attended Stephens College, the
University of
Oklahoma, and Gaucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.
Following graduation, she joined the U.S. Navy and became a
lieutenant. Stationed in New Orleans, her primary
responsibilities were in the area of personnel. Ms. Hardtner
was a member of W.A.V.E.S. (Women in the U.S. Navy Voluntary
Emergency Service) and remained active until the end of
World War II, when she moved to New York City. In 1990, Ms.
Hardtner moved to Lake Charles to be close to her family.
Juliet Hardtner left a $1.2 million gift to the McNeese
Foundation to establish two endowed chairs in Science and in
Arts and Humanities. In 1999, McNeese built
Juliet Hardtner
Hall to house the
College of Nursing and the
Department of
Mass Communication.Hargrove,
Matthew Vernon.
Dr. Hargrove was born in Sugartown on November 22, 1880.
He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Memphis
in 1909. He began his medical practice about 8 miles
from Oakdale. In 1912, he moved to Oakdale. In
1920, he built a five-bed clinic. He held the office
of City Alderman, City and Parish Health Officer, member of
the Police Jury, Parish Coroner, and State Representative
from Allen Parish.
Hargrove was a one-time student of
John McNeese. He
later became principal of Oakdale High School. He
presented the first of many portraits of John McNeese to the
college.

Hebert,
Robert D. Dr.
Hebert became the President of McNeese in 1987. Hebert was
born in Meaux, La. He received
his doctorate from Florida State University
in 1966 and served on the
faculty at Mississippi
State University from 1962 to 1969.
He began his career at McNeese in 1969 as an Associate
Professor of History. Near the end of the 1978-79 academic year,
Hebert established the Division of Basic Studies and became
its first Director. Hebert
served as Vice-President for Academic Affairs from
1980-1987. Hebert retired from McNeese on June 30, 2010.

Holbrook,
William E. Holbrook was president of the
Calcasieu Parish Police Jury
when McNeese was established in 1939. He was a
native of Holly Springs, Mississippi. He was a veteran
of the Spanish-American War during which he spent four years
in Alaska. After the war, he moved to Laredo, Texas
and worked as a barber and then moved to DeQuincy in 1912.
He was mayor of DeQuincy from 1924 to 1928. He was
also a police juror from Ward 6 for 20 years. He died
in April 1955 in an automobile accident.
In 1957, McNeese named the
Student Union [or "The Ranch"] after Holbrook.

Homecoming Queens
and
Kings. Homecoming, which includes traditional
festivities such as the parade, bonfire, & pep rally to
support the football team, was originally called McNeese
Day. In 1997, McNeese, in addition to naming a Homecoming
Queen, began naming a Homecoming King. Former Homecoming Queens & Kings:

1946

Adrienne Managan

1972

Lana Brunet

1999

Summer Fryar and
Heath Bryant

1947

Elizabeth Stark

1973

Rosanna Armand

2000

Jilliane
Rapheal and Todd McCardle

1948

Barbara Helms

1974

Marcia Miller

2001

Lakisha Barber and
Terry Armstrong

1949

Beatrice Teer

1975

Paula Shipp

2002

Candace McCullough
and James Guillory

1949

Jennie Lee Bruno

1976

Pat Flavin

2003

Brandy
Broussard and Buck Livingston

1950

Rose Richey

1977

Dianne Small

2004

Tiffany Bourque
and Adam Benoit

1951

Geraldine Christ

1978

Janet Crowe

2005

Jennifer
Guillory and Nick Kohrs

1952

Vernie Miller

1979

Jan Mitchell

2006

Jada Banks
and Mike Strahan

1953

Ida Mae Bouquet

1980

Esther Schmid

2007

Jessica Small and Marcus Stein

1954

Alma Marie Rostrum

1981

Pam Moreau

2008

Stephanie Mead and Daniel Lavergne

1955

Jo Ann Medrano

1982

Lori Sutton

2009

Morgan Verrette,
Kaitlynn Ackoury, Darnell Pledger,
Travis Lavergne

1956

Sara Newman
Meadows

1983

Laura Welsh

2010

Laura Dunnick, Donavan Anderson

1957

Jacqueline Bouquet

1984

Sandra Lee Canik

2011

Mathew Theriot, Danielle
Morrissey

1958

Peggy Addison

1985

Phyllis Porter

2012

1959

Dena Christ

1986

Cindy McCullough

2013

1960

Anne Pellerin

1987

Pam Benoit

2014

1961

Suzanne Fuller

1988

Karen Karkalits

2015

1962

Rochelle Kristal

1989

Christiane Bono

1963

Diane Primeaux

1990

Shelly Lea
Broussard

1964

Nannette Benoit

1991

Becky LaPointe

1965

Becky Simpson

1992

Melanie Faulk

1966

Linda Kaye Smith

1993

Jennifer Romero

1967

Melissa Stewart

1994

Kelly LeBert

1968

Laura Faye Daigle

1995

Jennifer Buras

1969

Cathy Abelson

1996

Kimberly Habetz

1970

Willie Landry

1997

Christine Habetz
and Jarvis Parsons

1971

Cindi Dyer

1998

Kristen Istre and
Frances Wilson

Honors College. The McNeese State University Honors
College was established to meet the needs of undergraduate
students who demonstrate exceptional ability and motivation.
Students admitted to the Honors College pursue a traditional
major and are provided an enhanced academic experience with
unique intellectual opportunities. Honors College courses
are taught by outstanding faculty who require students to
explore topics in greater depth or at a higher level of
sophistication than in ordinary classes.

Hopkins, Dennis. Hopkins received
a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from
Baylor
University, a master's degree from
West Texas State University, and a
doctorate (ABD) in Conducting from the
University of Northern Colorado. Before directing the
McNeese
Band, he was the
band director at Memorial High School in Houston, Texas.
Hopkins' high school bands achieved
many honors, such as Bands of America Regional Marching Champions
and the Texas Music Educators Association’s State Honor Band
of Texas. Since leaving McNeese, Hopkins has directed bands at
University of Mary-Hardin Baylor and the
University of
Wyoming. He is currently the Administrative Supervisor of
Fine Arts for the Austin (Texas) Independent School
District.Hurricane Audrey. Hurricane Audrey hit Cameron, Louisiana
during the evening of June 27, 1957 as a Category 4 storm.
390-500 people died from the storm. McNeese served as the
headquarters for the National Guard and Red Cross relief
efforts. For digital images from the
McNeese Archives
& Special Collections Department, please visit the
LOUISiana Digital Library (search for "Hurricane
Audrey"). Bibliography available at:
http://ereserves.mcneese.edu/depts/archive/audrey.htm .Hurricane Rita. On Wednesday,
September 21, 2005, Hurricane Rita churned in the Gulf of
Mexico, a Category 5 storm.
The National Weather
Service forecasted landfall around the central or
northern Texas coast. McNeese officials decided to close the
University for the remainder of the week, fully expecting to
resume classes the following Monday. Most students, staff,
and faculty left campus that Wednesday afternoon looking
forward to an unexpected holiday, thankful for the extra two
days to study, grade papers, or just relax.

Over the next two days, Rita changed course and struck the
Texas-Louisiana border on Friday, September 23, 2005.
Calcasieu and Cameron Parish officials called for a
mandatory evacuation on September 22, 2005, which remained
in effect until October 9, 2005.

In the days just after the storm, McNeese set up a base camp
for 1500 first responders from all over the country who came
to the aid of the University and the entire Southwest
Louisiana community. FEMA
also used the camp as its headquarters. The base camp
offered housing tents, medical facilities, a dining area,
laundry, and showers. Almost immediately, the
McNeese Facilities Department began clearing debris from
the campus and assessing damages.

A Louisiana state policy requires that any state building
without power for more than three days must undergo
environmental testing. The McNeese campus, and most of the
SWLA area, did not have electricity for approximately two
weeks. Experts from the state
Office of
Risk Management conducted the environmental testing,
which included architectural, mechanical, and engineering
assessments. Due to the impact of Hurricane Katrina one
month prior, state resources for performing environmental
testing were stretched thin and the tests took longer than
normal to complete.

On October 27, 2005, McNeese re-opened for some classes, a
full five weeks after closing for the storm. Web classes
resumed immediately and traditional classes resumed on a
rolling schedule, as state inspectors cleared buildings for
occupation. Farrar Hall was
the first building opened on October 26, 2005.
Administrators struggled to re-arrange class schedules and
prepare temporary classrooms in five modular buildings
assembled on the Intramural Field. To accommodate the lost
class time, administrators added additional time to
individual class periods and extended the semester schedule
by two weeks. Approximately 700 students withdrew from
McNeese due to Hurricane Rita. By November 2, 2005, almost
all classes had resumed.

The older campus dormitories suffered major damage, with
Burton Hall closed indefinitely. Students living in damaged
dorms were excused from classes until they could move into
newer dorm rooms or find other living arrangements. Some
students and employees moved onto a U.S. Navy clipper ship
docked at the Port of Lake
Charles. The ship’s crew provided meals and the
City of Lake
Charles provided transportation to and from campus. Most
dorms opened by November 11, 2005. McNeese completed the
fall 2005 semester when Graduation was held on December 23,
2005.

In the end, 67 facilities, nearly every building on the
McNeese campus, suffered damages. While the repairs and
remediation continue today, McNeese expects the total damage
to buildings, roofs, equipment, and landscaping to cost at
least $30 million. On December 15, 2005, Dr. Hebert accepted
a $1.5 million grant from the
Bush-Clinton Katrina Relief Fund, a foundation created
by the former presidents to help the recovery and rebuilding
of the Gulf Coast region from hurricane damage. The State
Insurer and FEMA will provide additional funds.

Jackson,
Sonny. Jackson was the head football coach from 1987 to 1989.

Johnson,
George. Johnson was the
first librarian of McNeese. In April 1942, he was called to
active duty in the United States Marines, where he served as
a Lieutenant. He was killed in the South Pacific in the
spring of 1943. He was the first McNeese faculty member to die
in action in World War II.

"Jolie Blonde"
[see also School Song].
"Jolie Blonde" (or "Joli Blon") is a popular Cajun waltz often
referred to as the “Cajun National Anthem.” The song was
made famous by
Harry Choates in the late 1940s. The McNeese Band
began playing the song in 1951 under Band Director Eddie
See. In 1970, "Jolie Blonde" became the official school song.

Jordan, Buford.
Jordan was born in Iota, Louisiana and graduated from
McNeese in 1984. Jordan played tailback on the
football team and broke many records in rushing. He went
on to play for the New Orleans Breakers (now the
Saints) from
1986 to 1992.